Nomama Artisanal Ramen: ‘You may have come for the food, but in the end, you stay for Him’

MANILA, Philippines - It wasn’t that long ago when ramen only meant instant noodles — cheap, fast and available even in your local sari-sari store. Many of us grew up comforted by a steaming hot bowl of what is essentially artificial flavoring, MSG and preservatives. I find it interesting that even in year-round tropical weather, everyone is “souped up” about ramen. It is neither fad nor fashionable, but the craze has crept up in the Philippines. Ramen has grown from instant to “it” dish, and the queues to the ramen houses in the metro prove this.

Long before the craze, chef Him Uy de Baron, owner of Nomama Artisanal Ramen, has already put his heart and soul into every bowl of ramen, as far as two years back. Looking more like an actor in his signature Marc by Marc Jacobs designer eyewear, Him is a 35-year-old father of two, who began his culinary training in De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde 11 years ago. He was among the first batches in the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management. Two years after he graduated, he enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu Australia. When he came back to the Philippines, Him worked with chef Marcus Gfeller. “He had a new restaurant called East Café. And he kinda threw me there. So that’s where my thing with Asian food started,” Him reveals. 

After a trip to Japan, Him started crafting his own vision that would eventually change the eating scene in Metro Manila. He was sent abroad by the Department of Tourism to represent the country in a Japanese festival that promoted Filipino food.  “I was there for two weeks and I was eating ramen every day. When I came back to the Philippines, I was looking for something that was similar. Not just ramen, but the whole new energy of Japan and the creative things they were doing (there),” he shares.

And so he put up Nomama, a culinary destination tucked between Scout Tuazon and Scout Castor streets  in Quezon City. The place is modern, minimalist and no-nonsense with the interiors. The menu is  straightforward with headlines like “To Start With,” “Noodles,” and “Something Else.” The atmosphere of the place is very inviting that you feel at home the minute you find a table. Here, you do not shove or slurp your food into your mouth as fast as possible to help speed up the turnover. 

“When I came back from Japan, Japanese food here was pretty much the same. You know, from sukiyaki, sushi, basically your normal fare. The ramen was pretty much standard. So I wanted to introduce something a bit more exciting by using good ingredients, local ingredients. Part of Nomama’s thing is we’re using local ingredients, organic and free range, if possible. We’re trying to source ingredients as fresh as possible. If there’s one thing I picked up in Japan, Japanese use the best ingredients. If you’re not shipping straight from Japan, you’re not getting the Japanese way. So I took a different route. I’m not trying to be authentic. I’m trying to be fun, innovative and creative with my personal spin. That’s why I came up with Nomama.”

So far, the reception to Him’s food at Nomama is a success. To celebrate the restaurant’s second anniversary, Him continues with his slow and from-scratch approach with new dishes. Recently, Nomama tied up with Ministry of Mushrooms for the launch of Mushrooms Go Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness, featuring several varieties of mushrooms and showcasing the different textures and subtle flavors in a dry noodle dish zinged up with shiso butter. Nomama also partnered with Clara Ole to launch the new menu, which includes a Mushroom Dip, the Tonkatsu Pizza, which comes in three flavors, and the Tori Karaage Sliders. And those are just the appetizers.

Nomama now offers the tempting Bacon Steakie with a Kimchi-Mango Purée and Onigiri. The Mr. Delicious Bacon in this dish is glazed with maple and soy seared and roasted then paired with onigiri, butter and furikake. And of course, the menu will not be complete without a new noodle dish. The Korean Town Ramen is a spicy ramen with slow-braised pork shoulder and shrimp topped majestically with  raw egg, enoki, Korean chili and miso.

To end the meal on a sweet note, Nomama collaborated with Smitten Sweets (creations of his wife Kirsten) featuring the Warm Nutella Stuffed Cookie served with homemade vanilla bean ice cream and hazelnut crumble.

Besides the new menu, Nomama also opened its second branch at Capitol Commons, along Shaw Blvd. in Pasig City.

Nomama has become a modern foodie’s dream with its artisanal approach, sourcing the freshest ingredients in support of local suppliers. It is undeniable that the man behind the kitchen is passionate about his work and ultimately about his cause. Nomama is making a name for itself to follow the footsteps of its chef with an equally curious name. “My name is pretty out there. I used to hate it but I’ve grown to love it now especially because it’s easy to remember and it stands out,” he says.

You may have come for the food, but in the end, you stay for Him.

(Nomama branches are at G/F, FSS Bldg. 2, 18 Scout Tuazon cor. Scout Castor St., Quezon City. Tel. no. (02) 921-4913 and at Capitol Commons, Meralco Ave. cor. Shaw Blvd., Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Tel. no. 0916-5180698.)